The um, well you know which room I mean

I have been thinking I could write about the er facilities of the world. Starting with what we call them. For some reason in English we never call them what they are. We say rest room, wash room, ladies room, loo, but never toilet. Why? Are we ever desperate for a rest? No - much more likely that we need the toilet. And about those...
Many of us have now had the less than pleasurable experience of perching over a well designed hole on the floor, but what other surprises have you had?

• I described in an earlier blog my Shanghai experience with wash, dry, scent and oh-la-la!
• Also in Shanghai separate loos for senior managers in the office
• In Sorrento a 12 second timer on the light. Yes I know it is possible to pee in the dark, but it is kind of spooky. And who selected 12 seconds anyway - an incredibly fast peeing machine?
• In Paris co-ed spots, often for washing up and sometimes for everything
• Also in Paris only saloon doors between men and us blushing brides
• In many places in Italy no seat by design (good exercise for the quads)
• Gold plated faucets at The Paris Ritz.
• In Bali (I heard) a soup pot that apparently resembled a pee pot (can't quite imagine) and almost was used for the wrong purpose by my friend
• How about this rather obvious indicator of gender at a Johannesburg restaurant? There should be no doubt which room is the ladies and which is the gents. Although I am not sure they help the average person to self-identify!

Now don't describe anything gross please but if you have a bathroom adventure story I would love to hear it.